End-of-study combined survey (end Phase III)

Contents
Glendower Place Shops recycling survey
Waste Stream Characterisation
Questionnaire
Glendower Place recycling system survey

Glendower Place Shops recycling survey

A prerecycling system implementation short survey of the commercial units /
shops and their current recycling tendencies
* Required

1. Name of business *

2. Name and surname *

3. Title / position within organisation *

4. What is the company's core business activity? *

5. Please indicate the types of wastes your business produces

*
Please
choose an
option per
row Mark
only one
oval per
row.

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End-of-study combined survey (end Phase III)

None

A
Some
little

Quite
frequently

Moderate
amounts

Glass
Paper
Plastics
Tins / cans
Food or biodegradable wastes
Hazardous wastes (chemicals,
batteries, solvents, pesticides,
motor oils, ... )
6.

Do you currently recycle in any

* way?

Mark only one oval.

Yes
No
7. If you answered yes to the previous question,

please indicate how and what you currently

recycle

8. Which of the following means of recycling makes

most sense to you for your business?

*
Mark only one oval.
Compartmentalised bins for recyclable wastes stored onpremises (which are then emptied in the appropriate storage
containers in the communal waste area)
Clearly labelled separation bins for paper and other recyclables
in the communal waste collection area (for direct depositing of
wastes)
Directly depositing recyclable wastes at collection
centres/depots
Recycling practises do not make business sense / are not
appealing

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End-of-study combined survey (end Phase III)

Waste Stream Characterisation Questionnaire

This questionnaire is anonymous and no respondents name need be given.
Please feel free to fill in this questionnaire with confidence therefore, and supply
information which accurately reflects the situation.
Where applicable, please tick the box next to the option you prefer.
Introduction
This study was put together primarily to find out how much recyclable material
people are throwing away in residential settings rather than diverting away from
landfills. Currently, there is very little to no data from studies done on
residential apartment blocks as regards the amount and types of recyclable
materials generated.
Complementing the above, the level of awareness and attitudes towards
recycling in the residential community constituting the study group needs to be
understood. This is crucial for recycling projects to persist and be sustainable.
The questionnaire below has been carefully designed to gather data which
will allow for more successful recycling practises in other apartment blocks,
residential suburbs, municipalities and further afield.
* Required

Resident Information
1. Name

2. Age

3. Racial or ethnic group

4. Gender

(M/F)
Mark only one oval.
Male
Female
5. Flat Number *

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End-of-study combined survey (end Phase III)

6. Number of adults in residence *

7. Number of children in residence *

8 How long have you lived in the apartment

block? *

9. Please indicate your

education * check box(es) as
appropriate Check all that
apply.
High school
College/diploma
Degree
Postgraduate
Unemployed/retired

Current recycling practices in Glendower Place

10. Please describe any current recycling practises in place at present in

Glendower Place *
(indicate none if there are none to your
knowledge)

11. If you answered yes to the above, please indicate the effectiveness of

the recycling Mark only one oval.

1
strongly disagree

5
strongly agree

12. If there are recycling practices in place currently, please list three

primary drawbacks which limit the potential of the recycling activity

in your opinion

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End-of-study combined survey (end Phase III)

13. Would you like to see more recycling initiative in Glendower Place? *

Mark only one oval.

No
There is room for improvement
There is definitely a need for a recycling
programme in the complex I am neutral in this
regard

Janitor/groundsman involvement for longterm

recycling in Glendower Place
14 Would you be willing to have any income generated from teh sale of
recyclables go towards paying our groundsman for his extra work in
processing recyclables? *
(Y/N)
Mark only one oval.
yes
No
15. Would you be willing to discuss at the next meeting the possible allocation of

a small portion of the levy toward setting up a recycling infrastructure to

make recycling a longterm practice at Glendower Place? *
(Y/N)
Mark only one oval.
yes
no
16. Are you aware that bins are emptied and cleaned daily? *

(Y/N)
Mark only one oval.
Yes
No

Amount of waste generated per week

17. How many times do you empty your bin per week? *

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End-of-study combined survey (end Phase III)

18. Estimate how much waste you generate per week on average *

(05kg 610kg 1115kg >15kg)

Mark only one oval.
05 kg
610 kg
1115 kg
>15 kg
19. Estimate how much glass you discard per week (jars, bottles) *

(15 items 610 items >10 items)

Mark only one oval.
None/very few items every month
15 items
610 items
>10 items
20 Estimate how much metal you discard per week (tins, cans) *
(15 items 610 items >10 items)
Mark only one oval.
None/very few items every month
15 items
610 items
>10 items
21. Describe the amount of recyclable paper waste you think you generate per
week
(magazines, newspapers, cereal boxes, dry consumables packaging) *
(very little sometimes moderate
appreciable) Mark only one oval.
very little
sometimes
moderate
appreciable

Feasibility around recycling in apartment blocks

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End-of-study combined survey (end Phase III)

22. List the top three factors, in order of importance, which you think inhibit

people from recycling their wastes daily *

23. What are the two main positives of recycling in your opinion? *

24. If recycling won't necessarily generate an appreciable amount of money, do

you think setting up a permanent recycling system is worthwhile? * Mark

only one oval.
1

Strongly disagree

Strongly agree

25 Are you willing to separate recyclable wastes (plastic, paper, glass, metal)
inside your unit? *
Mark only one oval.
1

strongly disagree

strongly agree

26. If you have reservations about separating wastes inside your unit, please

state the main reason behind your viewpoint

27. Are you willing to place wastes such as glass and metal in special

communal recycling bins on each floor as you generate them? * Mark only
one oval.
1

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End-of-study combined survey (end Phase III)

Strongly disagree

Strongly agree

28. Do you think that if there were recycling bins on each floor for each waste

type, that people who currently don't recycle would start to use them? *
Mark only one oval.
1

strongly disagree

strongly agree

29. Do you think the abuse of communal recycling bins on each floor would be

a big problem? (carelessly throwing away any item into the bins, for
example) Mark only one oval.
1

strongly disagree

strongly agree

30. Do you have any ideas as to how the possible abuse of such recycling bins,

were they implemented, could be negated? *

31 Do you think that recycling containers should be made available downstairs

at the shop level for those who want to recycle, and that those of us who
don't want to should be left to continue doing as we please (eg. not recycling
anything) ? * Mark only one oval.
1

strongly disagree

strongly agree

32. Would you be willing to continue your recycling practices beyond the

duration of this study if you were not already doing so? * Mark only one
oval.
1

strongly disagree

5
strongly agree

33. Would you like to see South Africa approach the high levels of source-

separation recycling which have been in place in certain other parts of the
world for many years? * Mark only one oval.

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End-of-study combined survey (end Phase III)

1

strongly disagree

5
strongly agree

Use of the internet/smartphones

34. Are you a regular user of the internet? *

(never/hardly ever few times a week just about every day several
times a day) Mark only one oval.
never/hardly
ever few
times a week
just about every day
several times a day
35. Do you use your mobile phone to receive emails, go on the internet, etc. ? *

(never infrequently often daily part of

life) Mark only one oval.
Never
Infrequently
Often
Daily part of life
36. Do you have a computer/laptop at home with internet access? * Mark only

one oval.
No
Yes
37 Do you think that having a website for
the environmental aspects of the
building (renewable energy generation,
recycling, energy budget) would go a
long way toward increasing interest
and awareness amongst residents in
the complex? *

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End-of-study combined survey (end Phase III)

38. Do you think that having a smartphone app for Glendower Place, where
residents could track the amount of wastes they discard/recycle, would be
beneficial? * Mark only one oval.
1

strongly disagree

strongly agree

Glendower Place recycling system survey

A survey conducted at the end of the study (after the implementation of the
recycling system and supporting mechanisms (website and smartphone
application) to gain general and more specific feedback as to the performance of
the recycling system
* Required

1. Please indicate whether your perspective is as a: * Mark only one oval.

Resident of the apartment complex

Commercial tenant / owner
2. Name and surname *

3. Do you think that the recycling system has been a broad success in terms of:

* Mark only one oval per row.

Strongly
disagree

DisagreeUndecidedAgree Strongly
agree

Effectiveness (allowing
convenient recycling)
Aesthetics of recycling
facilities
Raising external perceptions of
the complex
The use of the website & app
to achieve the above
Recycling has tangible
benefits
4. Have you or your colleagues/kin used the website / app to view information
related to the recycling initiative? * Mark only one oval per row.
Never RarelyOccasionallyFrequently
frequently
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Very

End-of-study combined survey (end Phase III)

Frequency of website/app
usage
5. Do you see recycling as having tangible benefits? * Mark only one oval per

row.
Strongly
DisagreeUndecidedAgree Strongly
disagree
agree
6. Is there an aspect of the recycling system you thought was particularly
effective?
Please provide a brief account of any feature of the recycling system which
makes it particularly effective in your opinion

7. Do you think there is a particular aspect of the recycling system which could

improve its performance and usability in the future?

Please suggest one primary way in which the recycling system could be
improved upon in the future

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